Started By
Message

Question about youth sports

Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:44 pm
Posted by burger bearcat
Member since Oct 2020
8864 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:44 pm
This a little bit dear Facebook, and I'm sure I will get some hardass answers as well. Oh well.

My son is signed up in a spring basketball league, that I paid a fee of $300 for. League was advertised as an "instructional/developmental league", with equal playong time advertised. It is a rec league, not school affiliated for 8 and 9 year olds in his age group.

The best player is the coach's son. My son is maybe slightly above middle of the pack, and still learning the game. The coach plays his son the entire game, and he runs every play exclusively through his son, all the other players are instructed to just set screens for him and pass him the ball, the only time they are given the green light to shoot is maybe after an offensive rebound or a loose ball comes there way and they are wide open. In practices, they hardly work on skill development, and mostly just go over the same sets and plays that involve his son being the only primary ball handler and setting screens and/or passing him the ball to score. There are a few players that suck and he hardly even plays them or works with them. My son's main job is to set picks, get rebounds, and pass back to the coach's son.

So my issue isn't some self esteem, participation trophy, feel good shite, but my issue is we paid money and are wasting our time in a league that was advertised as "instructional", which I thought would've focused on developing skills. I am fine with trying to win games, but also feel skill development should take priority at that age, especially when all the players pay the same equal fee for the league, and the league was advertised as "instructional" with a focus on devlopment. So I'm pretty much going to ask to have him to either be moved to a different team or to get my money back or confront the coach about it and ask him why is runming things this way.

Is this a pretty normal experience with youth sports? Am I in the wrong here and teaching my son the wrong lesson by taking issue with this? I coach other sports, and hate the idea of a parent coming and bitching to me about something, I know how time consuming and the sacrifice involved, but is it fair to take issue over something like this?
Posted by madmaxvol
Infinity + 1 Posts
Member since Oct 2011
19165 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:46 pm to
quote:

Is this a pretty normal experience with youth sports?


Yep

quote:

Am I in the wrong here and teaching my son the wrong lesson by taking issue with this?


Nope

quote:

I coach other sports, and hate the idea of a parent coming and bitching to me about something, I know how time consuming and the sacrifice involved, but is it fair to take issue over something like this?


Yep
Posted by Keys Open Doors
In hiding with Tupac & XXXTentacion
Member since Dec 2008
31911 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:54 pm to
I agree with the first guy to reply.

Some coaches are absurd about showcasing their kids.

I had a basketball coach and a soccer coach who didn’t do that at all, in fact the soccer coach almost went the other way. I had another basketball coach who wanted everything to go through his son, who would take 75 percent of our shots.

This was 25+ years ago, and I suspect it’s more absurd now.
Posted by TomJoadGhost
Alabama
Member since Nov 2022
1003 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:57 pm to
Sounds like he’s developing your son’s skills in setting picks, rebounding, and passing.
Posted by 504Voodoo
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2012
13533 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:58 pm to
quote:

The coach plays his son the entire game, and he runs every play exclusively through his son, all the other players are instructed to just set screens for him and pass him the ball


"Pass it to Will!"
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
35179 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:59 pm to
If it was me I'd just work with my son on our own and do something different next year. At least you son will be good at setting picks. The coach sounds like a tool.
Posted by michael corleone
baton rouge
Member since Jun 2005
5812 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 12:59 pm to
This is the worst aspect of both Rec and competing youth sports. Only thing worse than this is competing coaches giving extra play time or deference to Little Johnny whose mom lasts for extra one on one training. Youth coaches have no idea of what an 8-9, let alone 12-13 year old will grow or evolve into from an athletic standpoint. “Career” decisions are based upon whose dad is coaching , which kid is biggest at 8-9, who pays for extra lessons, etc and then projected out for 10 years. Varsity high school coach told my wife and I , and my kid, “I don’t understand how/why he hasn’t been on the highest comp level team. He is the best at his position in two age groups. “. District coaches and other HS coaches agreed after playing against him this year at the varsity level.

Find another league or team. Watched this at a similar age level and decided to coach for the next 7-8 years. Loved it and developed all of the kids equally. Most of the kids were solid, but not 8-9 year old dominant. They are all solid varsity players today. We had a lot of success and a number of the kids are successful high school athletes. A number of them also coach middle school and Rec teams. They always thank me and my assistant coach when they see either of us. Most coaches aren’t trying to develop kids and it’s the unfortunate reality of it. Ton of money being made off of youth basketball, baseball, and soccer with very little development.
Posted by HouseMom
Member since Jun 2020
1015 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:00 pm to
I'll chime in since I have older kids. We saw this happen quite a lot, and it's just going to happen with "daddy ball" in the lower levels. Doesn't make it right, but the true stars will shine no matter what.

(Also, I don't recall that a lot of them can dribble with agility at 8. Maybe I'm just forgetting.)

This isn't usually too much of a problem if the coach's kid is good, scores points, and gets the team a win. By that age, the kids do actually care if they win, but not so much as to how much they, specifically, contributed to the team.

The problems arise when the coach prefers his son, but he's just not very good. Or, he starts out playing well, but when he struggles, the coach-dad won't pull him.

I would find some group drills elsewhere for specific skill development and just let him play on this rec team for fun.

ETA: Get a basketball goal at your house and have him practice like crazy. Buy some cheap orange cones and have him practice dribbling around them and make up obstacle courses. So much of ball handling comes from... ball handling.
This post was edited on 3/20/23 at 1:17 pm
Posted by TDTOM
Member since Jan 2021
14575 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:00 pm to
Prepare for a bunch of lame Jaxxon and Braxton comments.
Posted by CaptainsWafer
TD Platinum Member
Member since Feb 2006
58354 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:01 pm to
quote:

So I'm pretty much going to ask to have him to either be moved to a different team or to get my money back or confront the coach about it and ask him why is runming things this way.


If you confront the coach, be prepared to have your son benched for the rest of the season. Any coach who focuses that much on their kid will also be petty enough to take out their revenge on your kid.
Posted by ezride25
Constitutional Republic
Member since Nov 2008
24297 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:01 pm to
O’Doyle RULES
Posted by mauser
Orange Beach
Member since Nov 2008
21607 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:04 pm to
Is your son enjoying it? If he isn't, pull him out. If he is, ask the coach when he is going to start developing?
Posted by Rex Feral
Athens
Member since Jan 2014
11351 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:07 pm to
quote:

youth sports


Sounds like your son's coach is dick.

The problem you have is all the teams are coached by some kid's dad who more likely than not has no idea how to coach fundamentals. They may be good at the sport but have no idea how to coach up 10 year olds. Even the ones that try only have a couple youtube videos under their belt.

Sign up for programs that only teach fundamentals. Your rec league should offer a couple of those each year.

Good luck and don't rely on rec leagues to teach your son anything more than sometimes life isn't fair.
Posted by sidewalkside
rent free in yo head
Member since Sep 2021
1662 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:08 pm to
Make sure when you raise your concerns with the coach you do it as loudly and aggressively and publicly as you can. Extra points if it's in front of the kids and their parents. Double extra points if you mix in a few slurs. Triple extra points if you come to fisticuffs with the coach.
Posted by patnuh
South LA
Member since Sep 2005
6726 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:08 pm to
I have volunteered a few times for my kids teams and honestly it’s a pain in the arse. Some of the kids are retarded and they make it difficult to focus on the few good players you may have. And the parents usually aren’t much better. My advice is to stick out the season and coach the team yourself next year.
Posted by OweO
Plaquemine, La
Member since Sep 2009
113964 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:14 pm to
Some parents are idiots. They are not doing their kids any favors. There is a reason he is probably coaching and he is probably doing the same thing that happened to his son. Was on a team where the coaches son was getting all the shots.

That's not teaching those kids anything. Since he is stuck on a team coached by an idiot, tell him to take his shots if he feels like he is in position to get a good shot in.

If I was coaching a team playing against them and saw that they ran everything through him I would have my defense on that kid like white on rice. I don't know how complex the game is played at 8 years old, but I bet that kid will not even play HS ball. The dad will think the kid is better than he is and when the coach isn't playing him enough the kid will end up quitting.... Unless he goes to some small private school.

I bet he doesn't even coach them much on defense right?
Posted by MikeBRLA
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2005
16473 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:17 pm to
quote:

I have volunteered a few times for my kids teams and honestly it’s a pain in the arse. Some of the kids are retarded and they make it difficult to focus on the few good players you may have. And the parents usually aren’t much better. My advice is to stick out the season and coach the team yourself next year.


I'm in this camp. The OP stated that the coach's kid is the best player on the team so it's not really daddy ball since the kid is good. IMO quitting sends the wrong message to your kid, (quit if i don't get my way). I say stick it out and let the message be that if he wants to get more playing time then he needs to work harder to be as good or better than the coach's kid. Working hard outside of practice is what I mean here.

Even if it's an 8-9 year old rec team everyone (coach and kids) wants the team to win and feeding the ball to the best player is how you do that.

If your kid starts driving in making layups and dropping 3s, I'll bet that the coach starts feeding him the ball.
Posted by shutterspeed
MS Gulf Coast
Member since May 2007
63346 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:19 pm to
Just whatever you do, don't do it through Facebook.
Posted by 427Nova
Member since Sep 2022
1722 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:23 pm to
We played in church league and were 12-1 and had to follow a sub pattern. We played another team in Championship and he never followed the pattern. His 2 best players never sat. I complained in 5th period and they sat 6th period. We were winning in 6th period and he had 2 kids fake hurt so he could put those 2 back in. We lost by 2 points. Youth sports is a joke most of time run by cheaters. He also practice his team at his house on off day. We only were suppose to practice on our designated days and times. You can say something about it but it won’t do any good. You’ll look like a whiner. Cheating in church basketball? What a tool. Back when I played a dad would have knocked the coach out for cheating/breaking the rule/not developing the kids - not anymore - you’ll go to jail.
This post was edited on 3/20/23 at 2:14 pm
Posted by OweO
Plaquemine, La
Member since Sep 2009
113964 posts
Posted on 3/20/23 at 1:34 pm to
quote:

Youth sports is a joke most of time run by cheaters


This is so pitiful it makes me laugh. I have a nephew who just finished his 2nd year on his school's middle school team. They started in February and played their last game a week ago.

Last year he played travel ball, but is only going to play rec ball this year, but the travel ball thing. The inner workings of it all is pretty sad.

He was asked to try out for this travel team and his parents asked if he was interested and he said yes. He tries out and makes the team, but evidently there were two or three kids who didn't make it. Of course their parents was pissed and the coach was talking to the parents and saying how some parents just can't come to terms their kids are not as good as they think they are, etc.

Come to find out, the reason that team was started was because the coaches son didn't make a team in which he was telling people his kid was clearly the 3 or 4th best player and they cut him because this coach was friends with that's kid's daddy, etc.. Well.. and I hate to say this about 10 and 11 year olds, but his son was terrible.

One of the games I went to.. there was this one black kid on the team who was probably the best player on the team. He was the smallest kid on the team but he was pretty fast and caught every ball that came to him in center field. The game I was at, he was diving and making catches... So what does the coach do? Takes that kid out of center, puts his son out there and puts the little dude pitching.. Although he never really even pitched at practice.

It was as if the coach was thinking "well he is a good athlete, he can probably do it all". The kid was a horrible pitcher. His skill set wasn't for pitching. After he gave up like 4 runs, he puts him at first, sits the kid who normally plays first and put in another pitcher. The next batter hits a fly ball behind 2nd base, the coach's kid in center field calls it. Drops the ball, he picks it up and launches it to first base and it goes over the smallest player on the team's head. 2 more runs score.

The next inning was the last, the coach puts the regular 1st baseman back at first, puts the small black kid on the bench and leaves his kid in center. The only inning the other team scored was when the coach decided to put the kid who was catching everything coming to him in center field pitching and then first base.

When we were leaving I saw the little black kid's daddy kneeling in front of him and I could hear him say "what do we practice at home? Fielding and batting. Its not your fault, you are not a pitcher and shouldn't have been pitching"..

People pay for their kids to play and they are coached by retards who don't even know what positions these kids can or can't play. But his son plays short stop unless they playing a team who is hitting balls in a certain direction, then evidently he moves his kid so he can get in on the action.
This post was edited on 3/20/23 at 2:10 pm
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6
Jump to page
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 6Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram